The Ties That Bind
by Summer39
Summary: An AU oneshot that focuses on the relationship I see in my GForce universe between Chief Anderson and Keye. Please R&R.


**THE TIES THAT BIND**

_Another AU one-shot, this time involving the mentor of the G-Force team; Chief William Anderson and Keye, his adopted son and youngest member of the team, also known as G-4, the Swallow. A long and candid conversation takes place between father and son, so some surprises are in store. I borrowed a character from episode 72-"Cupid Does it to Keyop." This story takes place between "Intervention" and "Closure." By the way, "Battle of the Planets" belongs to Sandy Frank Productions._

William Anderson was sitting behind the large mahogany desk in the study of his home. Early Saturday evening was approaching, the end of another week only hours away. There had been no outside interference from planet Spectra or their allies. Earth had been at peace for the time being. The silence was permeating the halls of the Anderson mansion, virtually buffaloing its presence into the Galaxy Security Chief's psyche. He closed the last of the files he had chosen to take home from his IFPP (Intergalactic Federation of Peaceful Planets) office, having copied the information on nanodisc and discarding the remaining evidence via the shredder to his right, leaning down slightly to perform the task. Anderson then sat up and tapped on the surface of his desk. He blew out a long, extended breath and glanced at the digital clock with its red numbers dancing in front of him. _6:00 PM! Damn, is that what time it is? Why did I think it was later than that? _He wondered.

Chief Anderson then glanced at the picture on the left of his desk. In it was a group of five boisterous youngsters, ranging in ages from seven to fifteen, who had a formed a pyramid on his front lawn several summers ago. Jason and Tiny made up the base, Mark and Princess were in the middle, and little Keye was on top. Anderson fingered the picture encased in a frame made up of popsicle sticks and marbles that Keye had proudly made during his artistic phase that same summer. The thin frames perched upon his angular nose fogged at the memory. A smile crept upon Anderson's handsome features, his thick mustache curling slightly at the corners, remembering the kids when they were younger and how much easier they were to deal with in a seemingly controlled environment. He had taken it upon himself to adopt Keye and Princess, not just because he felt they needed structure given their origins, but because he had learned to love them as any parent would love their own kids. Princess Montgomery had been a child of the streets from the Nevada region, a juvenile who was influenced by anyone who offered her food or a place to sleep for a price. Keye was a scientific experiment, comprised of a single embryonic cell in the lab at the ISO (International Science Organization). He was designed for the sole purpose of being a member of the G-Force project. He was named 'Keye' because it was felt that he would act as a resource person, he would retrieve and maintain valuable information for the active members of the team. Keye was the 'key.' He possessed a very high IQ, photographic memory and was able to relay information gathered in pertinent detail, not to mention his ability to hack into any computer system he came across. But his speech posed a problem from the moment he opened his mouth. A series of blips and burbles that couldn't be corrected even with the use of the cerebonic enhancement implanted in him at the age of 5. Keye was looked upon as a failure within the ISO research community and was to be sent to Planet Arcadia for treatment in the strictest military setting. Anderson, who was part of the research team, had already become fond of the youngster and had often taken Keye on trips with him, believing exposure would assist the child in combating his speech impediment.

The little boy with spiked brown hair and saucer round eyes had captured his heart one afternoon while sharing an ice cream cone in the park. Keye had dropped his treat on the ground, his cheeks turning red and eyes watering at the site of the large glob of melted vanilla with sprinkles at his sneakered feet. Keye's taller male companion got on bended knee, gave the boy an apologetic smile and offered him his chocolate chip ice cream cone to make up for the loss. Keye looked at Anderson as if he were a hero, accepted the frozen token, and burbled, "Brip, blip…thanks daddy." Anderson was momentarily stunned as the little boy put his arms around his neck and hugged him lovingly. Even more so, Anderson surprised himself by hugging the tyke back. He never realized how much he needed that hug and just how much it meant to him back then. After much debate with the powers that be from the ISO and the Federation regarding Keye's future, Anderson took immediate action, having Keye made his ward before adopting the boy as his own. He never once regretted it.

Fast-forward almost 10 years and now his son, who would be turning 17 soon, was out on a date with Julie Saunders, the daughter of one of the Federation's highest ranking officials. Admittedly, this was something Anderson felt he wouldn't be dealing with, despite the fact that his son had now successfully bypassed that awkward stage, growing up and filling out, just a shade under 5 feet 10 inches and leanly chiseled. His voice held the timbre of a husky baritone at times, the bleeps and blurps having disappeared with the passage of time. Keye still had the spiky brown hair, the bangs often covering his soulful brown eyes like a visor. Oddly enough, the teenager's mannerisms reflected that of his adopted father, exhibiting a quiet demeanor yet able to showcase his inner strength if provoked. Keye stayed on campus at the ISO academy the majority of the time, but on occasion would come home when it was warranted.

Anderson knew that social interaction with members of the opposite sex would come in time. It had been unfair to imagine that he would prohibit them from seeing people outside of G-Force. Anderson had wanted the kids to have as normal a civilian life as possible. There had never been any guarantee they would see tomorrow, so establishing relationships was important considering most of the team members had lost loved ones. _But where in the hell did the time go?_ Every member of the G-Force team was now involved with someone. Tiny had been dating Alicia Blake, an engineer working in the testing division of the ISO's military operations, for a few years. Jason was now seeing Rachel Sheridan, daughter of the President of the Intergalactic Alliance, Elizabeth Kane._ That reminds me to take my migraine medication before heading to bed._ Last but not least, Mark and Princess were now an item. _And my antiulcer pills, too._ Anderson tried not to think about his daughter and his former best friend's son together. That was another issue that would be dealt with at another time. He and Mark were still feeling their way around each other; learning to trust each other again.

Anderson then looked at the vast space his study projected; consisting of a massive library of novels and books that had kept him company for years. He sighed heavily and a whimsical look crossed his features, the thin frame of his glasses threatening to glide down alongside his nose. _Aww, who the hell am I kidding? I'm bored out of my mind!_ _How did that old Sam Cooke song go? Oh yeah…_And the lyrics began to pour from his mouth:

_**Another Saturday night, but I ain't got nobody**_

_**I got some money, 'cause I just got paid**_

_**Oh how I wished I had someone to talk to**_

_**I'm in an awful way…**_

_I wonder what Dr. Veronica Chambers is doing?_

Just then, Anderson lifted his head upon hearing the front doors to the mansion slowly open. The doors to his study was cracked slightly and he heard footsteps at the foyer's entrance. Thinking it was one of the servants, Anderson called out "Ms. Berkley is that you?" He stood up and walked toward his study's doors leading out into the foyer, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. That little woman insisted on fattening him up until he found a wife who could do so. "Really Ms. Berkley, I'll be alright tonight. You didn't have to come back…" Anderson's smile faded upon noticing Keye standing in the foyer closing the door quietly behind him. Something wasn't right, Anderson immediately sensed it.

Keye offered his father a sheepish smile. "Hi dad," he said but was unable to look at Anderson directly, choosing to look around the foyer as though he'd never seen it before. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" the boy asked, still not looking into his father's concerned face, peering over Anderson's shoulder.

Anderson took in Keye's pale features and sullen expression. This wasn't the same boy who left from here a few hours ago in a rush to meet with Julie. She and her parents were coming to the Pacific Region via the gateway's shuttle flight. Keye had planned to meet her at the airport and surprise her. Something had obviously gone wrong.

"Er…no Keye. You didn't interrupt me at all, son. Are you alright?" Anderson asked and he approached his son placing a warm hand to one shoulder.

Keye shrugged his shoulders and mumbled something under his breath. His chocolate brown eyes were glassy and he licked his lips before speaking again, rushing his words. "Look dad, I'm just gonna crash here tonight alright? Um…something came up with Julie and …well I'd just rather not talk about it." He ended the latter part in a thick voice.

"Keye what happened?" Anderson continued to query, his face a mixture of concern for his son and anxiety for what information the boy was withholding.

"Look Julie broke up with me OK?" a frustrated Keye shouted loudly, backing away from his father. "She broke up with me and I…look dad, I don't feel like hearing…I don't feel like hearing any of the 'I told you so's!' I don't want to rehash anything alright?" Keye's face revealed all of the hurt and rejection he had tried to hide from his father's perceptive eyes earlier. He looked at his father pleadingly, his spirit was broken.

Anderson was surprised by his son's confession of him and Julie's breakup; the rise of his eyebrows above the frame of his glasses was a testament to that. But not wanting to cause any additional pain to his son, Anderson nodded his head in understanding and rubbed his son's shoulder briefly. "Keye I'm sorry," he responded sincerely.

The morose figure mumbled a "Thank you" and headed for the staircase leading up to the bedrooms on the second floor of the house, the east wing. Anderson watched the boy pad achingly up the stairs; his shoulders slumped as if in defeat. _This is killing him, I know it is. Keye takes everything so personally._ Anderson rubbed the back of his neck a few moments and then crossed his arms as Keye disappeared rounding the upstairs corner heading for his bedroom on the east side of the house. After hearing Keye close the door to his room, Anderson headed straight for the kitchen. His kid was hurting and like any parent Anderson wanted to make it better, if he weren't able to make it go away. Anderson grabbed a small pot, a carton of milk, and some dark cocoa he had stashed away for just such emergencies. Now if he could just find that bag of marshmallows he'd be all set to talk with that broken hearted kid of his upstairs…

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Anderson allowed Keye fifteen minutes of 'getting himself together' time before going upstairs to the teenager's room with two cups of steaming hot chocolate, marshmallows included, on a small tray. He rapped on his son's door with his knuckles and spoke quietly, "Keye? Son, can I come in? I just want to make sure you're alright." There was no immediate answer so Anderson added, "I bought you some hot chocolate."

Another moment of silence passed and Anderson had started to walk away before a muffled voice asked, "With marshmallows?"

A knowing smile crossed Anderson's face before he responded. "Yeah kid, with marshmallows." He turned the knob on the door and peered in before crossing the threshold of Keye's room. Anderson looked around at the various images of video game heroes and vixens on the walls, science fiction memorabilia, animal portraits, books, comic books, and manga lying about the room; everything in its usual unkempt order.

In the center of it all was Keye, lying on his double bed, with his hands behind his head and legs crossed staring at the ceiling, trying to appear indifferent.

Anderson approached the bed and offered a mug to Keye. "Here. I thought you might like some." Keye sat up against his pillows and accepted the mug. Anderson then looked around for a place to sit, discovered a chair in front of Keye's desk hidden beneath a tiny mountain of sweat shirts, brushed them aside, and pulled the chair out. He set the tray aside, grabbed the remaining mug, and straddled the chair so that his torso was leaning against the back of it. The larger man leaned slightly and blew into his hot chocolate, allowing it to cool slightly before taking a sip. All the while his son was watching him through hooded eyes.

"You know dad, hot chocolate isn't going to make it better this time. I'm not a baby anymore," Keye declared but began to sip at the liquid confection just the same.

Anderson nodded in agreement, "I know. I just thought…just for the sake of thinking, that you might want something to drink. Besides I also wanted to make certain you were alright. Are you ready to talk about it now?" He took another sip from his mug.

"What's there to talk about? Julie dumped me. Not much more to add to it." Keye frowned after allowing the scalding liquid to burn his throat and he coughed slightly. "Besides…," he continued, "You're just going to tell me that this is all for the best. That I was too young to take this relationship seriously anyway."

Anderson winced. His kid knew him too well. His glasses were fogging slightly from the steam rising off the surface of the cup and Anderson pushed the frames on top of his head. He sighed while he contemplated another tactic; deciding that belittling Keye's feelings at this time wasn't the way to go about it. Suddenly he noticed a small box on the floor with a picture frame and a photo of two very happy teenagers; in it were Keye and Julie. The young couple had their picture taken just a few months ago near the pool out on Anderson's patio.

"So it's really over huh?" Anderson asked and lifted his mug in the direction of the box on the floor. Obviously things that Keye had collected over the course of his relationship with Julie. Keye had wasted no time in gathering the items so that he could get rid of them. His father wanted the boy to be certain. "Keye are you sure…"

"I don't need them anymore dad," Keye interjected as he briefly glanced at his father, his voice low but purposeful. "It's over. Julie found someone else." He returned his focus to the mug of hot chocolate. "She said she was going to tell me when she felt the time was right, but since I surprised her at the airport…anyway the timing couldn't have been better, right? Talk about the ultimate mind-fuck."

Anderson continued to watch Keye sitting on the bed. He seemed so distant; his face so etched in pain at the memory of how Julie treated him, that Anderson ached as well. Julie and Keye had been friends before they began dating. Keye had never seemed happier. The shy boy that he once was had come into his own a confident young man.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't…," Keye's eyes cut to his father and he stopped himself from going any further. "Forget it." He then closed his eyes and continued sipping off the remains in the mug.

Anderson was perplexed. "Finish it. What were you going to say?"

Keye looked directly at his father and noted his sincerity. He also noticed how much younger his father looked without his glasses. Somehow he didn't seem so ancient, his Galaxy Security Chief mask had been set aside, and that made it a little easier for him to open up. Keye cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure you want to hear it all? Some things might surprise you." The teenager's liquid brown eyes narrowed as if daring his father to answer.

Anderson straightened then, meeting his son's challenging look with his own unmoving expression. "Try me, I might just surprise you." He turned and placed the empty mug on the desk behind him.

Keye eyed his father a moment longer; he took a deep breath before pressing on. "Julie and I have been together dad. We…we slept together."

The impact of that statement hit Anderson like a ton of bricks. His brows had risen so far on his forehead that his glasses slid back into place on the bridge of his nose. Keye flinched at Anderson's expression, at the piercing eyes and the grim set of his mouth.

Neither of them realized how much time had passed before Anderson felt compelled to speak. "I…I didn't realize your relationship with Julie had …gone…gone that far Keye." His father's tone was dangerously low, but there was a hint of frost in his voice.

Keye sat his mug on his bedside's end table and inched his way on the edge of his bed. "Why so surprised dad? Geeks get horny, too. It's always us quiet ones."

"Don't get smart with me Keye!" His father warned. "Damn it! How could you do something so incredibly stupid? Have you thought about the consequences…?" Anderson's tirade had barely begun.

"That's exactly why I didn't want to talk to you about it!" Keye thundered back at his father. He was angry as well, but remained in the same position, sitting across from his father. "I loved Julie! I thought she loved me! It happened the last time she was here! The picture in that box was taken right before it happened! We didn't plan it! It just happened! That's why I'm packing up everything that reminds me of her; of us! Because I thought that day meant something to her and it didn't!" Tears had formed in Keye's eyes, the memory of the moment he had given himself to Julie still fresh.

A vicious response was just on the tip of Anderson's tongue, threatening to cut deeper into an already tense situation. But the young man's father stopped himself, again seeing the level of hurt Keye was experiencing, and the despair of having lost his first love. Keye was suffering enough. Anderson cupped his jaw in his hands and Keye lowered his head toward the floor, shutting his eyes, readying himself for the emotional beatdown his father was known for inflicting just before casting punishment.

"Keye…," Anderson began, "It's just that you're so young. That level of responsibility…"

Keye's head shot up and by doing so he immediately silenced his parent. He stood up from the bed, took one step closer to his father, and raised his left wrist, exposing his G-Force communicator. Anderson could barely see his son's now red-rimmed eyes through his overlong bangs but Keye's voice spoke volumes. "Have you forgotten what you and your researchers designed me for? I was just a cell in a Petri dish remember? I was designed specifically for G-Force. Not only to obtain and retrieve information from alien invaders, but to kill those who resisted. I'm a freak of nature…" Keye's voice had begun to break. "I'm old enough to kill but not old enough to show my feelings for someone through physical expression? What a hypocrite I have for a father!" he ended somberly, dropping his left wrist at his side. He wiped at his face with the back of his hand.

It was Anderson's turn to lower his head for he knew there was some modicum of truth behind what Keye just revealed. He had placed this child, now _his child_, in this position. Initially Keye had been looked upon as a failed laboratory experiment. It was Anderson who fought the officials to keep the boy with him. Anderson was the one who insisted that Keye would fit in and be able to serve the G-Force project and the Federation. He hadn't given any thought to how Keye or any of the kids would deal with outside influences; foolishly thinking all they needed was a structured environment and he'd be able to control and deal with whatever challenges they faced. It was his daughter, Princess, who schooled him while Mark was going through his ordeal after the death of his father. _Being soldiers is what we do, not who we are father. You've forgotten that we're human beings, capable of feeling and making mistakes. These cerebonic implants serve to enhance our physical strength but not our spirit. We're quite capable of enhancing that on our own._

Anderson breathed deeply before he responded. "I'm sorry Keye. You're absolutely right. I never gave you enough credit. I took for granted that you'd be different from the others because of how you were …developed." He was trying to find the right words hoping Keye would understand. "Part of me felt that you, being my son, was above reproach. I only looked at Julie as being nothing more than a companion at times. I didn't realize…I denied that it could never be anything other than that." He looked up and stared again at his son. "I hope you're willing to accept my apology. You deserve better than being chastised for confiding in me, and I let you down. I didn't mean to come off as cold and unfeeling."

Keye lowered himself to his bed and wiped again at his eyes. "Dad you're not a cold man. You have a job to do that requires you to be hard at times, but I'd never accuse you of being cold. Maybe a little insensitive sometimes…" He trailed off seeing his father's smirk.

"I get it Keye," he responded but quickly sobered before asking. "Are you going to be alright?"

"The logical part of me knows that I will, but Julie really hurt me dad. I don't like feeling this vulnerable."

Anderson looked worriedly at Keye and the teenager smiled upon knowing what his father was having difficulty asking. "Don't worry dad. We used protection."

"Thank God for that at least," his father mumbled under his breath. "Keye it's going to take time to get over Julie. I know that you're hurting but just take things a day at a time. You're still young yet and you'll find love again. I'm certain of it. Just look before you leap next time."

Keye folded his arms and looked sternly at his father. "Words of wisdom from someone who distances himself deliberately from the opposite sex."

"I don't distance myself from women!" Anderson objected.

"Dad, its Saturday night and you were in this big house alone singing Sam Cooke tunes. Don't you think that's a bit pathetic?" Keye responded shaking his shaggy head. "There are plenty of women who'd kill to go out with you and yet you ignore them. Why is that?"

"Look, it's not that I don't like or appreciate women it's just that I don't have the time…"

"You're making excuses dad; very lame excuses. I've seen the way women look at you at the base and at Center Neptune. Either you're oblivious to the attention or you simply aren't interested. Please tell me that you're oblivious because I don't think I could deal with the other." Keye's mouth slanted and his eyes rolled upward toward the ceiling as he deliberately baited his father.

Anderson stood up quickly from his chair and pointed at his son's nose. "Listen here, smart-ass! I like women! I think women are great! Just because I haven't had a date in a while…"

"Try this century."

Anderson removed his glasses and placed them on top of his head, moving around the chair to stand directly in front of his son, and rewarded him with a roguish grin. "It just so happens that I've been kind of talking to Dr. Chambers…"

Keye's face brightened. "Dr. Veronica Chambers of the bio-physics department? Dad she's prime! Beautiful face, wicked figure, and legs that go on for days! How'd you snag a superior piece of honey like that?"

A flush came over Anderson's face upon realizing he'd given his son the wrong impression. "Well…we aren't exactly going out." Keye frowned. "But we've talked about it."

"In other words you haven't gathered the courage to ask her out." Keye threw his hands up to the ceiling. "Come on dad! What are you waiting for? No one's been able to get close to her. If she's talking to you at all then she's got to be interested. I've heard that several guys asked her out and all of them have come back limping after the rejection. Apparently she sees something in you."

"When you put it like that son it gives me all of the confidence in the world."

"You know if you started wearing contact lenses and freshen up your wardrobe a bit I bet she'd fall all over you. Maybe use a little 'Just For Men' to get rid of the gray and lose the pocket protector…" Keye joked.

"So now I'm in need of a make-over? I think I can handle this on my own. Your old man isn't as ancient as you think."

"Just hurry up will you? I heard sex after sixty isn't all that it's cracked up to be." Keye laughed at the expression on his father's face.

Anderson retaliated by ruffling his son's hair and pushed at his face, forcing him backward so that he landed on his back. "You asshole." He in turn laughed as well. He stood over his son's bed after a minute of good natured fun and then sobered. "Keye are you going to be OK?"

"Yeah dad. I'll make it" He pulled himself up to sit against the pillows once more. "I am your son after all." He extended his arm and balled his fist, indicated to his father to do the same, and lightly pounded Anderson's fist before tapping his knuckles with his own. "You're officially hip dad."

Anderson smiled and briefly a glimpse of the boy he'd adopted ten years ago stared back at him, the same spiky brown hair and round cocoa colored eyes. He shook his head and walked to let himself out. Just as he turned the knob he heard Keye murmur, "I love you dad." Anderson looked back at the young man who, tonight, had taught him a thing or two. Keye had given him a sense of purpose and returned a happiness to his life that he'd lost along the way. Both of them were growing up, having to rely on each other the best way they knew how. Anderson had no regrets.

The parent in him responded with all honesty, in a voice filled with emotion. "I love you too son. Don't ever forget it. If you want to talk some more, just let me know. I'll be downstairs listening to my Sam Cooke CDs." A sheepish smile formed on Keye's lips as his father let himself out of the room.

**_Thanks for reading!_**


End file.
